Spirit of Friendship (13/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com Disclaimed in Chapter 1 ************ The journey to the mine was quiet. Karen was seemingly focused on Lili to the exclusion of all else, Scully was staring out her window, watching the darkness rush by and Lili just sat where she was, smiling. Mulder for his part was worried. The mine was only a few minutes away now and he still had no idea of what was going to happen next. A million thoughts tried to push to the forefront of his brain as he drove. What was going to happen at the mine? What kind of ceremony would take place? What would be asked of him, if anything? But the one that consumed him was: What would happen to Scully when this was all over? This was the moment of truth, the point of no return. In the next hour, his best friend would choose whether to live or die. Would he have one more chance to convince her to stay? To tell her how much she *needed* to stay? And if not, would the words he had already spoken to her be enough? <> he screamed at himself. <> He sighed and glanced at his partner, watching her stare out the window. <> *Stop that* Mulder blinked, and almost lost control of the car. Karen's voice had sounded clear as a bell in his head. He glanced up in her rear-view mirror; she was looking straight at him. <> he thought. *Beating yourself up over everything. You aren't to blame for this* <> *I don't have time for you to wallow in guilt and self- recrimination, Mulder. I need you to do something for me* <> Karen's eyes went flinty and hard in the mirror. Her mind- voice was as cold as a glacier. *You DO want to help your partner don't you?* <> *Once the ceremony is over, keep hold of her. Don't let her go* <> *You'll find out. Just do it* The two cars pulled up outside the entrance to the mine, their headlights illuminating two Native American women standing in the entrance, dressed in a curious mixture of both cultures; white and Indian. Karen was out of the car first, ordering Lili to follow her. Albert helped Melissa out and into her chair, and the little group made their way over to the women. "Everything ready?" Karen asked The taller of the two, with a black feather in her red-blonde hair nodded. "Yes, but.." Karen interrupted her. "I know. I can handle it." And walked past them, followed by Lili. Petra was greeted by the two women, who had hung back to wait for her as the group passed into the mine. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Gentle Spring Rain," Stacy replied. "She died two hours ago." "What!" Petra exclaimed. "Can we do this without her?" "Karen thinks so," Mary said. Petra ran a hand through her hair. "Let's go find out," she said finally. Karen led the way through the tunnels without once consulting a map, leading them straight to the opened iron door. Mulder, Scully and Melissa stopped to stare at the fortune in gems and metals that studded the walls of the outer chamber. "What's this for?" Mulder asked Karen, who was watching them with an amused expression. "It's symbolic," Karen replied. "It represents greed." She turned to the doorway and walked through. After a moment everyone followed her. Inside was very different to the rest of the mine. The walls, ceiling and floor were smooth, with the exception of the middle of the room. On the floor was carved a large circle, with various runes and symbols inscribed around it. Inside the circle were three overlapping smaller circles, in a triangle. "What now?" Mulder asked. Karen directed them to the circles. Lili stood in one, Scully and Mulder in the other two, side by side and facing Lili. Melissa's place was in the area that all three circles merged. "Why does Melissa have to be here?" Dana asked, looking worriedly at her sister. Apparently Karen was focusing on her, because she replied without Mulder having to ask. "She is your family," she said, "For what we are about to do, we need two things that are close to you, to enable us to perform the ritual successfully." Lili gave a snort of laughter, but said nothing. Karen, Mary, Stacy and Petra moved to stand at certain points around the circle, that were seemingly marked with more ornate runes than anywhere else. Albert stepped back and watched. When the four women had reached their positions, they stood silent for a moment, heads down. Then Karen looked up and said a single word in a language that Mulder didn't understand, but sounded like something he'd heard whilst on The Blessing Way. The other three women repeated the word simultaneously. And the line of the circle, as well as all the runes and symbols, began to glow with a soft light. Then Karen spoke a short rolling sentence, and the other three women repeated it and kept repeating it, in a sing-song chant. Karen meanwhile, was saying other things, her voice rising. Lili started, her body jerking slightly.. Melissa gasped, beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.. Dana felt a strong tug... The chant changed, Karen's voice taking on a deeper tone Lili jerked harder, almost falling forward. A moan was wrenched from her... Melissa was drenched in sweat now, breathing heavily... Dana was feeling the tugging harder now, and she was starting to fade slightly... Mulder was starting to feel strange, as though he was being gently pummeled... Another change to the chant. Karen's voice was higher again. Lili was almost convulsing... Melissa jerked once, her eyes opening wide... Dana was transparent now... The chanting rose to a crescendo. Karen shouted a single word. Lili screamed in denial, her scream tapering off... Melissa arched up out of her char, falling forward, a low moan coming from her lips.... Dana gave a startled cry of surprise and pain and vanished.... Mulder started to reach out, but a wave of dizziness sent him reeling backwards.... Dana opened her eyes slowly, giving a low groan in response to the sudden rush of pain to her arm. It was intense, and it wasn't alone. Her body was a mass of aches and pains. She closed her eyes against the light, and just lay there, waiting for the general throbbing in her muscles to subside. "Scully?" It was Mulder, his gentle touch on her shoulder confirming it. Even that hurt, but she banished it back, trying not to think about the sharp pain in her arm. Probably broken. Blasted Mulder and his blasted quest... The cave. The rock fall. Lili. Karen. The ceremony. She sat up, ignoring for the moment, the agony that shot through her body as she did so. She looked up at Mulder, looked down at her body, dressed in very tight and very skimpy leather. Alive. She was *alive!* She catapulted herself into Mulder's arms, hugging tightly, a huge idiot grin on her face, mirrored on his own. She reached down, picked up a rock, bringing a burst of giggles to her lips. Mulder gently started to lead her away from the circle, towards the little group; Karen and her friends, Albert... Where was Melissa? She turned back the way she had come, and let out a gasp of horror. Melissa was lying in one of the central circles, just in front of her chair. As she watched, her sister stirred, her hair covering her face like a curtain. She tried to go to her, help her up, but Mulder's hands on her shoulders prevented her. As she watched, Melissa raised herself up on her hands, and looked around her, seemingly confused. She sat up completely. "Melissa?" Dana asked, "Are you all right?" <> "Just fine," Melissa replied. Dana frowned. There was something wrong with her voice... "Melissa?" she asked again. Melissa looked at her for the first time and smiled, her eyes flaring red. Dana watched in total astonishment as her sister moved her legs around to bring her to the kneeling position. "Would you like another guess?" Lili asked. Dana pulled forward, but Mulder had taken a firmer grip "Get out of my sister, you bitch!" she yelled. Lili stood up, dusting herself down. "Don't look at me," she said. "I didn't want to be here!" She gestured at her body. "Why don't you ask Karen?" Dana turned to face Karen, who had the grace to look uncomfortable. "Your sister volunteered," she said quietly. "For what?" Dana asked. "Someone had to be the receptacle for the spirit," Karen answered." Melissa volunteered for it, she wanted you to have a body again." "WHAT!?!" Dana was furious. "Lucky," Lili said from behind her, "Having someone willing to die for you like that." "Die?" Dana took a step towards Karen. Karen hesitated. "Your sister's spirit has been displaced like you were," she said finally. "Lili must remain in her body, for as long as that body lasts, within the circle. "But," she added, "unlike you, Melissa has no link here to hold her body to the physical plane. She will not last long." Dana stared first at Karen, then back at her sister, standing in the circle of softly glowing light. Mulder put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "No." she said firmly, "Not again." She made to move towards the circle, but at a gesture from Karen, Mulder wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from moving. Dana struggled, her voice raised in a frustrated yell. "LET ME GO MULDER!! I'm not letting her die for me again!" Mulder held on for dear life. He knew, he hoped, that Scully would calm down soon, would see that this was the most logical thing to do. Dana wasn't thinking of that, she wasn't thinking of anything. All she could see was that --THING was in her sister's body! And she wasn't going to let it happen. Not if she could do anything about it. But she couldn't get out of Mulder's grip, he was too strong. There had to be some way to get free... There was. When Scully's body went limp, Mulder still kept a firm grip on her, believing that she was faking and this was an attempt to get him to let go. But then he saw Scully break free of her body, her spirit separate once more. "NO!" Karen yelled. "Yesss.." Lili hissed triumphantly. Scully wasn't listening, didn't care. All she saw was the grinning features and the red eyes, the finger beckoning to her. Filled with an all-consuming rage, she ran forward. Through the Circle. ************* END CHAPTER 13 -------------------------------------------------------- Spirit of Friendship (14/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimed in Chapter 1 *********** Dana fell, seemingly forever, into swirling darkness that shifted and moved around her. Below was a rapidly approaching point of light that grew till it filled the whole world. As she fell, she could hear laughter; sharp and mocking. Then the light was all around her, blinding her, filling up the world... Gone. When she could see again, she stared around her. It was some kind of Hall, much like the one she'd met her father in, but this time very different. The design was the exactly the same, but the light that came in through the windows was red and flickering. The pool of water was instead a fire pit, that burned with a red flame. As Dana watched, she saw a face appear in it, contorted in pain, mouth open in a scream that only faintly reached her ears. Then it was gone, and in a moment, another had taken it's place. The huge bronze doors were still there, but instead of shining brightly, they were dull and stained. "Dana," The voice came from behind her. "How nice of you to drop in!" Dana turned to face the other end of the Hall. A tall woman stood on the balcony looking down at her, with a broad smile. It was difficult to see what she looked like, because her features seemed to shift continuously, the only constants on her face were the completely red eyes and the sharp, almost fang-like teeth. Just behind her, in a tall cage raised off the ground, was Melissa. Dana took a step forward. "Let my sister go, you bitch!" Lili frowned. "Now why would I do that? She gave herself willingly." She rested her arms on the balcony railing. "Unless you want to replace her?" Dana's form flowed and changed, gaining height and replacing the proper business suit with the tight leather armor that she had worn to face Lili once before. Lili straightened. "Oooh, a fight..." she said with a wide smile. Her body began to shift; Losing height, her hair became like spun gold, her features flowing into an expression of childish delight, somehow marred with an insane grin. "But this Hall isn't really suitable." And everything changed. * * * * As Scully ran through the Circle, Mulder saw the soft light of the lines flare into brightness, then start to flicker wildly. His partner never noticed; she continued forward and vanished into Melissa's body, which collapsed. Karen and the others were immediately running to their positions again, and after a moment, the flickering of the lines began to stabilize. "What's happened?" Mulder asked. Karen spoke through gritted teeth. "She broke the Circle; we have to close it again, or It will get loose" "What about Scully? Will she be all right?" Karen made a pushing motion towards the circle, one rune that had begun to flicker wildly again, shone continuously again. "On her own, without her anchor? No. You'll have to go in after her!" "How do I do that without breaking the Circle?" "When I say go, you can go through," Karen replied, "But do it quickly!" * * * * The Hall vanished, leaving both Dana and Lili standing in what at first glance, seemed to be a desert, flat and featureless. The differences stopped there. The sky was a mass of shifting red streaked clouds, the same color as the sand and Lili's eyes. Melissa's cage stood off to one side. Dana caught her sister's eye and smiled. Then Lili was on her, sword flashing. Dana was not sure how she managed to defend herself against the whirling blades that her opponent wielded, she just operated on instinct. After a seeming age of clashing blades, and deft dodges, Lili stepped back. "Impressive," she said with a smile. "But too easy. Let's make this a little more interesting!" And she belched flame at Dana, who managed to get out of the line of fire, but not before she was singed on one arm. She rolled over and over, managing to put out the little flames on her armor. Then she stood up again. Lili was nowhere to be seen. Dana turned slowly. The desert had changed; instead of sand, there was now a rolling expanse of a strange surface filled with tiny holes and furrows, all with the same pinkish red cast. She put one foot forward, only to feel the surface give, very slightly. Lili's voice came from behind her, filling the world with its volume; "Now *this* is much more fun!" Dana turned and looked up. And up. Cold realization filled her a moment before five huge fingers rose up around her and the ground bucked hard enough to knock her of her feet. Lili closed her hand into a fist. "Nearly had it Dana," she said to herself. "Shame you couldn't follow it up!" Something tapped her shoulder. She turned into Dana's fist. "How's that for follow up?" Dana asked with a grim smile. * * * * Mulder waited, anxious to get to Scully's side. After what was only a few seconds, but seemed like years, one area suddenly lost all light. "NOW!" yelled Karen. Mulder leapt forward. * * * * Lili rocked back a pace, but that was all. No blood, or any sign that the blow had hit her. She shook her head with a smile. "Dana, Dana, Dana," she said with a sigh. "Still thinking in the real world; what *am* I going to do with you?" Her hand shot out, lengthening, the fingers becoming longer and more jagged. Dana never had a chance to dodge as they wrapped around her neck, squeezing tightly. She struggled, but Lili was too strong, her grip too tight. Melissa yelled, "Dana! Use your head!" Lili snarled, and gestured with her free hand at Melissa, who's face was suddenly covered with featureless steel mask. She pushed down, forcing Dana's knees to buckle slightly. Mulder hit the ground with a thump, spraying sand everywhere, and looked up and around at the fantastic scenery. He saw Lili not far away, forcing Scully to her knees. He was about to go to her aid, when a banging noise from behind him caught his attention. Melissa was in a cage just behind him. At least he assumed it was Melissa, her face was completely covered in a layer of what looked like steel, with no holes for eyes and mouth. He raced to the cage, and pulled at the door, which gave very slightly with a groan. Lili looked up at the noise, and smiled. Dana was halfway to her knees, and was surprised at the sudden easing of pressure. "Foxy!" Lili exclaimed "How lovely to see you!" There was a sudden burst of flame from the door, and Mulder snatched his hands back, unable to control the brief burst of fear that shot through him. He noticed that the door had vanished now. Behind him, he heard a low chuckle. Then flames burst in a circle all around him, rising as tall as his head and seeming to bend down towards him. As he looked, he saw faces, mouths filled with fangs, looking straight at him. Coming closer. Then Mulder realized. The circle was closing. The flames were moving in. <> Lili turned back to Dana. "Well, that takes care of him. Now what about you?" The pressure increased again. * * * * Petra watched Mulder run into the Circle. She could feel the basic shape of what was going on inside, but that was enough. Lili was winning, and winning easily. All the people she'd killed and scarred, both mentally and physically, were going to go unavenged. Unless someone did something. Someone like her. She glanced over at Albert, and he caught her eye. He nodded and moved forward to stand behind her. He would take her place; his shamanic status would protect him from Lili, if it came to that. She readied herself, preparing for what she was about to do. She felt Karen's attention shift slightly towards her. Karen would be able to stop her, she knew. And she couldn't allow that. Couldn't allow May's killer to get away, not unless she could do something about it. And she could. "Petra, NO!" Karen yelled. Petra stepped Sideways. * * * * The flames were almost touching Mulder now. He could feel the heat all around him, like a physical presence, the mouths of the fire creatures almost brushing against him. This was worse than when he'd faced L'ively in that corridor, this time the fire really was alive and hungry for him. The fear and panic welling up in him was almost more than he could bear... One fire creature sunk its burning teeth in his arm. Mulder lost it. Dana was on her knees now, the pressure around her neck even greater. She could see blackness on the edge of vision, feel everything slipping away.... Mulder's scream filled the world, blasting through her head, scattering the darkness to the four winds. She lashed out, not with her body, but her mind. Lili was caught unawares, and was flung several feet away, ploughing into the sand, carving a furrow as she went. Scully turned, and with thoughts of rain and fire extinguishers rampaging through her head, put out the flames around her partner. "Mulder!" she yelled. "Free Missy!" Mulder took one step towards Melissa's cage.. ..and the ground wasn't there anymore. Mulder tried to step backwards and his foot brushed the lip of the chasm. He fell. * * * * Albert stepped into Petra's empty place, his shields already in place. Even so, the power that beat against the shield was awesome. He could feel it trying to find any way through; anything it could use to latch onto him and drain his soul. He ignored it as best he could, forging his power into the battle, keeping the circle whole and all-encompassing. He had to keep it up, no matter what the cost. * * * * Mulder managed to reach out and grab a jutting outcrop of rock with one hand. Under normal circumstances, he knew that the impact of stopping that quickly would have dislocated his shoulder at the very least. But here, in this strange world, things were very different. Scully had put out the flames around him with a thought. Perhaps he could do the same. He pictured himself with huge white sweeping wings, rising up the chasm. He felt slightly different almost immediately. He glanced over his shoulder, reaching up with his other hand for the outcropping as he did so. He had wings all right. But not the kind he was hoping for. Instead of the great white wings he'd thought of, he now had wings that wouldn't look out of place on Tinkerbell, or a cherub. And were about the same size. He tried flapping them, purely out of curiosity, and was surprised to find that they supported his weight! <> he thought, <> He flew upwards. <> He reached the top of the chasm, and flew towards the other side and Melissa. She was still there, but now her mask had eye holes in it. Mulder grasped the bars, and imagined them bending like a cheap special effect. To his delight, they began to bend... And then the flames spurted again. As he stood there, trying to decide what to do next, Petra appeared out of nowhere, inside the cage. She grabbed Melissa, and vanished again, reappearing outside the cage. Melissa reached up, and grasped the mask. It shifted and melted into her skin as though it had never been there. "That's better!" she said. "Petra, what are you doing here?" " I came to help," Petra replied, glancing between them "You.... Mulder what's that on your back?" The air groaned as if in pain, and the clouds boiled and twisted. The ground jumped and rumbled in sympathy. "Quick!" Melissa gasped. "We've got to help Dana!" Lili and Dana stood face to face, about 10 feet apart. The air between them seemed to ripple and shift. Lili was calm and smiling, but Dana was straining, her fists clenched. Mulder felt a ripple of weakness pass through him. Melissa ran forward, creating a bridge over the chasm, to stand beside her sister. Mulder would have followed, but his legs gave way beneath him. He felt weaker, as though his strength was being drained. Spots of darkness danced in his vision. Melissa and Dana pushed back at Lili, but she held her ground, her powers flowing out at them. Petra looked at Mulder in alarm. He wouldn't last much longer at this rate; and if he fell, Lili would have the upper hand again. There was only one thing left to do. She vanished again, reappearing behind Lili, grabbing her arms and twisting them behind her back, then pulling. Lili was overbalanced slightly, her power flickering. Petra closed her eyes, trying something she'd never done before, and hoping that here, where thought equaled action, it would work. It did. Directly behind Petra, a hole opened, a long tunnel of swirling light and sound. It seemed to suck the air into it, causing Lili's hair to stream back in Petra's face. "PUSH!" Petra yelled. "NOW!" Melissa and Dana summoned every ounce of strength they had, and sent it all rushing at Petra. Dana's blow towards Petra drove Mulder to his hands and knees, as though the ground were a magnet pulling him down. He slumped face-down in the sand, struggling to draw enough strength to breathe. He was so weak.... Out of the corner of her eye, Dana saw Mulder crumple, but she didn't dare lose concentration now; not when she could feel the end was near. With a cry, Dana unleashed everything she had to Petra, delivering the final blow along with her sister. Just before it hit, Petra whispered at Lili, who was staring wide eyed at the wave of power approaching. "This is for May..." The blast wave hit. If Lili had been on her own, she would have been rocked back a few paces. Held off-balance as she was by Petra, she had no chance. Clutched tightly by the police Sergeant, they both fell backwards. Into the tunnel. Lili tried to grasp the edges, but Petra wrenched at her, pulling her away, and down the corridor. There was a noise like thunder, and the hole closed. Mulder never noticed; he had jerked as if in pain at Scully's final onslaught, calling out her name as he tried to reach for her, but, weakened beyond endurance, he fell into darkness. ************* END CHAPTER 14 -------------------------------------------------------- Spirit of Friendship (15/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimed in Chapter 1 *********** "Mulder? Mulder, please..." A soft, feminine voice and a gentle touch on his face drove the last vestiges of darkness from the recesses of Mulder's brain. He moaned slightly and turned his head toward the voice, his eyelids fluttering open....to reveal a beautiful red-headed woman crouched over him, a look of worry marring her lovely features. "Scully," he breathed, a slow smile spreading across his face. Scully relaxed visibly. "God, Mulder," she said quietly, "you had me worried there." Mulder was about to reply when he remembered. Scully and Lili. Fighting. Where...? He immediately struggled to a sitting position, Scully helping with a hand on his back. He looked around frantically for the demon. Scully answered his unspoken question. "She's gone. Hopefully forever this time. And Missy is safe, too. She's back in her body, thankfully." Mulder nodded solemnly. The battle was finally over. But not the war. There was one last thing to be carried out. The time for Scully's decision had come. Wanting to put off the inevitable, Mulder struggled with something to say. Then he caught sight of his surroundings. They were no longer in the same place where Scully and Lili fought. They were in a huge room, laid out in stone, with arches and narrow windows. At the far end were a huge set of closed double doors, made of what looked like bronze. They gleamed in the bright light of the Hall. To either side of the doors were flights of stairs, leading to a balcony that stretched the length of the room itself, joining at the far wall. Behind Mulder was a wide archway, through which he could see bright sunlight. Looking up, he could see a circular hole in the roof and the lazy, fat, white clouds that drifted by overhead. Directly beneath the hole, and less than an arms width away from him, was a pool of water. The air seemed to vibrate with a sense of peace and happiness. Mulder was amazed. He looked at Scully. "Where are we?" he whispered. A wistful smile crossed Scully's face as she rose to a standing position, helping Mulder to do so also. "A familiar place," she answered, remembering her first time here, only a day or so ago. Mulder raised an eyebrow at that, but made no comment. He still felt a bit drained, so he made his way carefully to the raised lip of the pool and sat down slowly, running a hand over his face. That action snapped Scully out of her memories and she sat down next to Mulder, their legs almost touching. "Mulder? Are you Ok? What happened back there?" He smiled at her. "You and I are more closely linked than we thought. The first time I felt this way was after your brief struggle with Lili at the Fairway Motel. But I just chalked it up to exhaustion. But after sleeping the whole day away, I felt worse than I had before I went to bed. I started to put two and two together after seeing the shattered mirror and plastic fruit all over the floor of my hotel room." He paused to give her another grin. "You were practicing while I slept, weren't you?" At her agreeing nod, he continued. "And then this final battle with Lili confirmed it." Scully was confused. "Confirmed what?" "Don't you see, Scully? You were drawing on my strength to help you fight. You didn't even know you were doing it. But unconsciously, when you needed help, I was there to give it to you." He reached out to grasp her hand in his own and look directly into those blue eyes. "Like I'll always be," he whispered. Scully finally had to blink to break the spell of Mulder's powerful gaze. Realization dawned on her. "But, Mulder, I almost killed you back there!" He chuckled then gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go. "Well, Ok. You did go a bit overboard." Then he became serious once again. "I understand now what Melissa was saying about this link, this bond between the two of us. It runs deeper than friendship or even love. It's something truly unique. Can you feel that?" he finished softly. A gamut of emotions played themselves across Scully's face before she finally stood and looked down at Mulder. "What kind of bond is it if I took advantage of it and nearly killed you?!" Mulder surged up to take hold of Scully's shoulders. "I would give my *life* for you. In a *heartbeat*, to keep you safe." She shrugged off his hands and moved away. "But I don't want that, Mulder! I'm tired of putting people in danger. Look at my sister! She's almost been killed *twice* because of me! I just want this to end. I'm not *worth* it!" she finished. "No!" Mulder cried. "Don't you *dare* say that." He moved to where she was standing. "Why can't you see how special you are? You have *so much* yet to accomplish in your lifetime. Other people see that. That's why we want to keep you safe; to put ourselves in harm's way for you." "Accomplish?" she asked. "What could I possibly still need to accomplish in this lifetime?" She shook her head sadly. "No, I'm through here, Mulder. I'm putting all the grief, all the pain behind me." She reached out to take hold of both his hands, tears glistening in her eyes. "I will miss you more than you know, my friend. My *best* friend. Continue on with your quest and don't mourn me. Please remember that I'm in a happy place, at peace with my decision. Tell Mom and Missy that I love them." She stepped forward to lay a soft kiss on his cheek. "Good-bye, Fox," she whispered. Then she turned and began walking toward the double doors. Mulder struggled to hold his tears in check, the first cracks appearing on his heart. He swallowed thickly and called out almost angrily, "What about *love*, Dana Katherine Scully?!" Scully stopped and turned around at the sound of his voice. He advanced on her, continuing. "Have you forgotten about *that*? Love, a husband, a home. Children of your own to raise. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want that future," he demanded. Before she could respond, he spoke again. "And what about *your* quest? Have you forgotten about that, too? To bring to justice the man who shot your sister and to find out where you were for those three months?" He hung his head briefly. "And what about *our* quest? The X-Files is not just about locating my sister, you know that. It's about exposing lies and uncovering the truth. I thought you believed in that, that we would always work *together* to accomplish that. And I'm a selfish bastard, I admit it. Those three months when you were missing nearly tore me apart. I couldn't bear to lose you again. Because this time it would be forever." Through the tears in his eyes, he could see from the look on her face that she had never really given thought to what he had just said. All she had seen was the pain and grief of the past, not the hopefulness of the future. Her expression changed to a half-smile and Mulder's mind rejoiced. <> Then, from behind Scully, a warm, yellow light appeared. The double doors were opening. Without even looking, Scully knew what was happening. "Daddy!" she cried out, before spinning around and racing toward her father. Mulder reached out to stop her, but she slipped through his fingers; the sound of his shattering heart loud in his ears. <> There he was again. Ahab. Still in his dress whites, looking as handsome as ever. Scully stepped into her father's warm embrace. "You've done well, Starbuck." She smiled into his shoulder. "Thank you, Daddy." He pulled back slightly to look down at his daughter. "You've fulfilled your part of the bargain. You know why I'm here. Have you made your decision?" She nodded. "Yes, Daddy, I have." A movement in the middle of the Hall caught Captain Scully's attention. "I see you've brought someone with you." Scully stepped out of her father's embrace and looked over her shoulder. "That's my partner, Mulder. He's been trying to convince me to stay." William Scully nodded. "Smart man. I think I'd like to meet him." "Daddy....Mulder's a bit....different." He chuckled. "And what's wrong with that? So are you." Then he began walking toward Mulder, Scully trailing behind. Mulder had watched as his partner embraced her father, already mourning her loss. He swiped angrily at the tears trailing down his face, moving to sit on the edge of the pool once again. But he looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and came face to face with Captain William Scully. Mulder jumped up. He had never had the chance to meet Scully's father before he died, but recognized him instantly from the photos on Mrs. Scully's mantle. Captain Scully looked him up and down and Mulder felt like a teenager asking permission to take his daughter out on a date. Mulder nearly flinched when Captain Scully suddenly stuck out his hand. "Mr. Mulder." Mulder returned the firm handshake. "Captain Scully, it's nice to finally meet you, sir." William Scully got down to business. "I know you know what's going on here." "Yes, sir, I do." Captain Scully looked to his left. "It's not nice to keep men waiting, Dana," he admonished gently. Scully stepped between the two most important men in her life, looking from one to the next. "I've made my choice. And I hope you both will understand." She stepped to her father's side and Mulder closed his eyes, trying to imaging life without her. But her words surprised him. "I miss you every day, daddy. But Mulder has made me see that I still have things to do. I need to stay." He hugged his daughter tightly. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that, Starbuck. This wasn't your time to go." He released her and she moved to stand next to Mulder, taking his hand. Mulder's heart was near to bursting with happiness. William Scully addressed Mulder. "Thank you for helping my daughter make the correct decision. It's no secret that I did not approve of her career choice. But I've seen the good she's accomplished, the people she's helped. I'm not blind, however. It's still a dangerous path she walks. I need to know that you'll watch out for her." Mulder cleared his throat. "Well, honestly, sir, Dana can take care of herself. *I* tend to be the one that needs watching after." And at that, Captain William Scully let out a hearty laugh. "I was sure I wasn't going to like you, Mr. Mulder. Thank you for proving me wrong." Scully gave her father a little salute. "Good sailing, Ahab." "And you, too, Starbuck." Then with a kiss on his daughter's cheek, he turned and walked back through the double doors. Mulder and Scully turned to face each other, Mulder hanging on to her hand for dear life, afraid she'd change her mind. But then with a cross between a sob and a laugh, they closed the gap separating them, embracing tightly. Mulder framed Scully's face with his hands, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Welcome back," he murmured quietly into her hair. Then a bright, white light enveloped them both. ************* END CHAPTER 15 -------------------------------------------------------- Spirit of Friendship (16/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimed in Chapter 1 *************** Rapid City Regional Hospital Next morning Mulder woke to the sensation of hands on his body. One on his forehead and the other on his chest. He shifted slightly, causing the owner of the hands to pull away. His head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton and his eyelids felt so heavy.... Forcing himself not to give in to the comforting darkness once again, he struggled to open his eyes.....and found himself staring into the kind face of Albert. Albert smiled down at him then looked away. "He is awake." "Well it's about time," came a familiar female voice in reply. Mulder blinked and his surroundings came into focus. He was lying in a hospital room with morning sunlight streaming through the half-open blinds on the windows. The owner of the female voice stepped up to the foot of his bed. Karen. She crossed her arms in front of her. "Welcome back, FBI." Mulder looked at Karen in confusion. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was holding Scully.... Scully! Mulder turned his head sharply to the side, to the other bed in the room. Empty. A wave of panic threatened to engulf him as he pushed himself upright in the bed. Eyes wild, he looked back at Karen and Albert. "Where is she?! Where's Scully?!" he demanded. <> "Fox! Calm down, she's all right." Mulder turned his head toward the new voice. It was Melissa, pushing herself through the doorway. Albert stepped to Mulder's side and put his hands on the young man's shoulders, forcing him to lay back down as Missy continued. "She's a few rooms down. I was just there. She's not awake yet." Mulder let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He cleared his throat and said, "What happened? The last thing I remember was telling Scully I was glad she'd decided to come back. How did we get here?" Karen spoke up. "Dana made her decision and the two of you were free to return to the physical world. Which you did. You both appeared in the center of the Circle, unconscious." Karen pointed to one of Mulder's arms, causing him to look down and see the white gauze bandage for the first time. "Your arm was burnt and Dana was now back in her body, which has been quite banged up these past few days, so we took you here." Missy spoke up. "The doctors treated you both, though neither of you regained consciousness, which had us all worried. But then you both slipped into regular, deep sleep patterns and seemed to be out of danger. We've just been waiting for you to wake up." Mulder pushed back the covers. "I want to go see Scully. Has anyone seen my clothes?" Albert reached down beside the bed and held up a duffel bag. "Clean ones. I thought you might need them." Mulder smiled as he reached for the bag and made his way to the bathroom. "Thank you, Albert. Always thinking." He emerged a few minutes later, dressed comfortably in a t-shirt, sweatpants and tennis shoes. He placed the hospital gown and empty duffel bag on the bed and went to stand next to Karen, who was flipping channels on the TV. "You haven't said anything about Petra," he said quietly. "I never saw what happened. Where is she?" Mulder could've sworn he saw a brief flash of pain cross Karen's face and her eyes glisten with tears, but in the blink of an eye, she was her normally composed self. However, it was Missy who answered him. "She's gone, Fox. And she took Lili with her." Mulder gave a deep sigh, saddened at Petra's death. She had been a staunch ally in this battle. He would miss her. Karen spoke up. "And this is what we will all tell the police...." She spoke for a few minutes, outlining her story. After everyone agreed to Karen's story, Mulder nodded. "Then it's over." he said. "Over?" Karen said, mouth turned up in a bitter smile. She gestured to the TV, where the news was on, showing images of a riot somewhere. It changed to police storming down a door, guns out. "We won a battle, Agent Mulder," She turned back to face him. "We faced a being born out of the darker side of humanity, born of the need to kill for no other reason than career advancement, of the lust for gold and riches, of fear, of callousness. Yes, we beat it, but all we did was send it back into the hearts and minds of the world again." She sighed. "All we did was gain a respite; some breathing space. Maybe not even that." Mulder shook his head. "Is there any way to win completely?" Karen laughed, the bitterness plain. "Sure," she replied, walking over to stand in the doorway. "All we need to do is renounce violence, give up hatred, cease raping the land for what we need and turn our backs on all the darker emotions that fuel our souls." She shook her head, "Sounds easy, doesn't it?" "So what now?" Mulder asked. "Now? You go back to your world, fight your little battles. Your partner will heal, but I would keep an eye on her if I were you; she left her body almost too easily back in the cave. She could do it again without realizing it." Then she turned and walked out into the corridor, Melissa, Mulder and Albert following. "And you?" Melissa asked. Karen turned away to walk down the corridor. "Back to the frontlines." She replied, "Comdex still owns that mine, there's nothing to stop them trying to re-open it again. I have a protest to organize, letters to write. The war goes on. It will probably always will." She'd only gone a few steps when Melissa spoke up again. "Need some help?" Karen stopped, turning to face the woman, as she coasted to a stop in front of her. "*You*?" She said, in almost exactly the same tone of voice she'd used at the airport when Melissa had told her about her attempt to get Lili's name. "Me." Melissa replied, holding out one hand. "You need me, Karen, and not just for the protest. Besides, if you can't put aside your hatred and darkness, what hope is there for the rest of us?" There was a long pause. Karen stared down at the chair-bound woman, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Where will you stay?" She asked finally. "Does your place have wheelchair access?" Melissa answered. "No." "Then we'd better get some, don't you think?" "Now wait just one damn minute! If you think..." Mulder grinned and turned to Albert, murmuring, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Albert just smiled back at him and clapped him on the shoulder before following after the bickering women. Mulder passed the nurse's station on the way down the hallway to Scully's room, where Nurse Hannah Wray stopped him. They talked for a moment, Hannah making sure Mulder should be up and walking around, before giving Mulder an update on Father Mike, Kate and little Amy, before Mulder continued on to Scully's room. He stood in her doorway now, watching her sleep, her face relaxed and her breathing even. He could see the small white bandages on her arms and face from where he stood. Mulder sighed and looked downward, leaning against the doorjamb. Even though he'd described a hopeful future to Scully, it now looked uncertain to him. How would Scully deal with the aftermath of her ordeal? How had this affected her beliefs in science and religion? And what about what Karen had told him? About Scully possibly being able to leave her body again? "Did you find out Elvis is really dead?" Scully's quiet voice startled him and he looked upward. "What?" "Your expression. You look sad," she replied. He shook his head and stepped into her room. "No, just thinking," he said as he sat in the chair next to her bed. "Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. He gave a small chuckle. "I think I should be asking *you* that." She ran a hand through her hair, wincing slightly at the shoulder movement. "Well, first of all, I don't remember giving my permission to stay in this hospital overnight," she said with a grin. He smiled back. "You were unavailable for consultation. As a matter of fact, we both were." Then he sobered. "Really, Scully. How are you?" She looked away from him. After a long moment she said quietly, "Scared, Mulder." She looked back at him. "Scared because things happened to me that my beliefs can't explain. I may have to rethink a few things." His expression brightened and she could just imagine what he was thinking. She smiled. "But don't get your hopes up, I'm sure there's a rational explanation for what happened." At that, Mulder got a good laugh. With a comment like that, he knew Scully would be just fine. "So how did we get here and where's everyone else?" she asked. Mulder gave her a rundown of how they got to the hospital last night and that Melissa and Karen were probably still out in the hallway, arguing, with Albert looking on. Scully smiled. "I thought I heard familiar voices out there." Mulder thought of something else. "Oh, and Nurse Wray told me that the woman from the church, Kate, will be fine. She had quite a few stitches in her hands, but they shouldn't leave scars. And her little daughter, Amy, was none the worse for wear. Just frightened. They're being discharged this morning." "And Father Mike?" Mulder sighed. "He *is* paralyzed from the waist down, but Nurse Wray said he's quite a fighter and won't let this slow him down for long. Something about believing again." Mulder shrugged. "He'll be here for awhile yet, but I think he'll be Ok." "And Petra?" Scully asked. "She's gone...isn't she?" Mulder nodded. "Yeah, Scully, she is. But please, don't blame yourself. Sacrificing herself to make sure Lili never returns was her way of avenging May's death." He paused. I hope she and Karen said everything they needed to say to each other. No regrets, you know?" Scully nodded. "What are you going to tell the police?" "Karen's already thought of everything. The story is that you, Petra and I went down the mine after the serial killer. Gun fire was exchanged, during which the suspect was killed and a cave-in started. I managed to get you to safety, but Petra was killed pushing me out of the way of a rock slide. Karen, Albert, Mary and Stacy heard the cave in and rescued us both, driving us to the hospital. The lower levels of the mine are completely collapsed, sealing off the chamber. This way no one will attempt to locate Petra's body." He paused. "I'm sure there'll be a memorial service for her." "I owe her so much. I'd like to go to the service." Mulder smiled. "I figured you'd say that. I'll book a few extra days at our hotel." "Know me so well, do you?" she asked lightly. He reached up, took her hand and looked her straight in the eye. "Enough to know that you have alot to live for." She covered his hand with her free one. "Thank you, Mulder. For everything." Mulder replied quietly, "All in the spirit of friendship, Scully. All in the spirit of friendship." * * * * Nurse Hannah Wray entered Amy Jacob's room and stood watching in the doorway as the little girl tried to dress herself without any help from her mother. The poor woman couldn't have helped anyway, not with the bandages covering her arms and hands. Kate saw Hannah in the doorway. "Hi," she said, "Could you help here?" Hannah did, helping the little girl put on her shoes and sweater. Then she picked her up and gave her a little kiss. "There!" she said with a smile, "You ready to go home now?" Amy nodded. "Home.." She said, giving a big gap-toothed smile. Hannah watched mother and child walk down the hallway, with a smile. Amy turned back and waved at her, and then they were out of sight. Hannah blinked. She could've sworn that little girl's eyes had changed color. Then she laughed at herself. <> she thought, <> Then she turned and made her way back to the nurse's station. *************** THE END